Big Mick Master List - 6th July - 9th July

First topic message reminder :

Have a 10 man Dorm and a double room provisionally booked (http://www.portrushholidayhostel.co.uk/) in Portrush.
The rest of the Hostel is already booked up so this is all we could get. There are however a few other places to stay in Portrush so accom shouldn't be a problem.
Google it and you'll see there are plenty.
They have offered me a deal for £35 per person for the whole weekend which is pretty good and includes continental breakfast and all bedding.
Kitchen facilities are available for anyone who fancies bacon buttes etc.
They have Wifi too.
They have space out the back for Bike parking as they told me they cater for the NW200 as well. Seem pretty biker friendly.
Hostel will be 1st come first served so if you wanna slot get you name down quick.
There is only 1 double room available so any couples coming along get in quick!!
I will need a £10 deposit paid by the 15th April to secure your bunk.
So Please cut 'n paste and add your name to the list if you are coming along.
More info to come over the next couple of weeks!!

	Name	Hostel	Deposit Paid	Ferry Booked
Bunkhouse
1.	Dirt Bike Dave	Yes	Yes	Yes
2.	Rosco	Yes	Yes	Yes
3.	Bravepil Euan	Yes	Yes	Yes
4.	Furballs	Yes	Yes	Yes
5.	Billyw	Yes	Yes	Yes
6.	Athol	Yes	Yes	Soon
7.	Robcat	Yes	Yes	Yes
8.	Alan M	Yes	Yes	Yes
9.	Kenny M	Yes	Yes	Yes
10.	Norman A	Yes	Yes	Yes (till Sunday)
Double 11.	Stevecat	Yes	Yes	Yes
12.	Pam	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rideout Only 13.	UlstWarrior John
14.	Cat72 Russ (hopefull)
Harbour Heights Guest House 15.	Eddie 990
16.	Terry Lees
17.	ChickenTim
18.	FJR Bob
19.	Pete

That's the reason why I've not taken out the extra cover. Cost for just a few hours riding. Won't pick me up anyway if I have a spill.
Only mechanical or electrical breakdown.

Rob

Eddie990 wrote:Another thing for folks to consider is breakdown cover, after much searching the cheapest I could find for Europe was £60

I bet the Greeks, Italians, Spanish & Angela Merkel would all love European Breakdown Cover for £60

Sorry . . . . politics . . . against the I know . . . . . . . I'll get me coat.

Hi ya folks, not long now till u visit this side of the pond.

To clarify few points... you dont need EU plates to visit Rep of Ireland, UK yellow plates are fine and as for breakdown we wont be in county donegal that overly long so its not necessary and if we do need breakdown AA should cover you and if it doesnt i can sort it to get your bike towed back in to Northern Ireland and you will be covered from there by AA or whoever.

was talking to Dirt Bike Dave last night. I will meet you folks off the ferry at Larne. if you want to do a coffee stop my house its 45 miles from the ferry, portrush is a further 25 miles north from there.

Only problems we will encounter on way to portrush is countrybound traffic on M2... your ferry gets in 530pm or so...motorway can get congested so if we filter through we should be grand. On Friday night i said to Dave would be gud to go to Joeys bar for a pint - the bar is still owned by Joey Dunlop's family and theres fair bit of memorabilia and the memorial garden is just yards away from the bar.

I was also discussing riding speeds with Dave. In the dark old days cops were on the look out for bad guys.... thankfully there are very few bad guys here who used to remove town centres with ground up fertiliser and red diesel mix...

This has freed the cops up for other activities so they tend to drive round in unmarked cars and jeeps fitted with number plate recognition software (just in case they meet bad guys) and lazer kit which determines your speed. Believe me there is no escape a mate who is an ex police officer got nailed for doing 87 on dual carriage way. he tried im an ex cop... and i was braking, neither of which worked.

I have suggested cos of the nature of the roads and the wet weather forecast we keep speeds to 60-70 on good roads, on the smaller country roads 55-60.

In days gone by you could have sped through the Rep of Ireland and when you got a ticket you laughed at the Gardai officer... im a british citizen tough shit ticket not getting paid and there was nothing they could do about it... now there is joint up policing and a ticket issued by Gardai is valid as are fixed penalty points on UK citizens.

Other than that folks you hopefully will have a great time and the weather will be kind to us and you will see some of the best that Northern Ireland has to offer and I hope i can return to your side of the pond asap for a ride out, i was over at the Farmyard Rally @ Helmsley few weeks ago thats my first bike trip in GB, so got sat nav sorted n hopefully wont be my last hoping to Storm the Castle at Co Durham.

Any other queries drop Dirt Bike Dave a line and he will keep you right or if need be my mobile is 07793502487.

John

Rosco wrote:Bu66er that - we'll club together and buy you recovery.

LOL +1 on that, nearly killed me last time

furball wrote:

Rosco wrote:Bu66er that - we'll club together and buy you recovery.

LOL +1 on that, nearly killed me last time

Ditto. I'm sure I had a KTM pannier imprint on my Bollards for a few days after the Bristol incident.

Cheers posting up the info John, see you on the other side Friday night mate.

Behave yourself children & have a great time, fingers crossed for good weather, can't wait for the right up!

Take care

Ellie xx

Careful there Ellie, right up! umm, or write up!

They love it up 'em

OK the northern contingent, breakfast has been booked at the Oakthorpe in Windermere for 8.00 am sharpe (the full monty) can't wait umm

8? Thought it was at 9.

Bye-eck, I'll have to leave an hour earlier!

Guys we wanna be meeting up at the ferry terminal at 1400 at the latest..

See you all there, counting down the hours, finish work (well that's what I call it) tomorrow at half three. Pub then collapse, Thursday new tyre and oil change, Friday and its A75 time, can't wait.

Cheers
Billy

Cheers for the heads up John.

Be good to meet you and looking forward to the everything except the weather :( I think.

Sounds like you and DBD have everything sorted.
I booked in for a bit of back marking.

Meeting Euan in Strathaven then will try and meet some of you in Ayr enroute to Cairnryan.

Cheers
Rosco

Sorry Rob, it is 9.00 not 8.00 my mistake, another hour in bed

Thank god for that. Setting off around 6:15 to meet ya up at Leyburn fuel station.

Undecided about either leathers and a boil in the bag outfit or textile. Some one said it is meaning to rain over there.

I think its going to pee down most of the weekend bud.

terry lees wrote:I think its going to pee down most of the weekend bud.

Yup bring yer wellies!!!

Although i have just checked the long range forecast and it is looking a bit better and drier for Portrush this weekend so we might be ok!!

Oh joy of joys, new tyres fitted, just been out to bed them in, and transformed what had become a ill handling behemoth into the sweet handling FJR that I know and love, the transformation never ceases to amaze me. All ready for BM now, by the way should I bring my passport?

If ya like. Don't think you need it though. I'm taking mine just incase. Think you'll be ok with a picture driving license.

Gent's no passport required to travel to NI from GB or from NI to the Republic. Dvr license or some form of picture ID always useful in case of any incidents. Great weather today but long range forecasts that those who carry GoreTex will smile the longest.

terry lees wrote:Oh joy of joys, new tyres fitted, just been out to bed them in, and transformed what had become a ill handling behemoth into the sweet handling FJR that I know and love, the transformation never ceases to amaze me. All ready for BM now, by the way should I bring my passport?

Anything to get your old passport photo out

Cheeky GIT

Just been checking on the met. office site, looks like us northern lads are going to be lucky with the weather tomorrow.

Cheers, because us midland folk are due some heavy heavy rain over the course of tonight and morning.

Shiny bike becomes dull bike, tadaaaaa........

Guys, I spoke to the hostel about towels and they do have hand towels in the room. I guess if you can fit one in your luggage prob bring your own. If not then should be ok.